Lawn mower with removable reel assembly



y 15, 1952 E. BOYCE EI'AL LAWN MOWER WITH REMQVABLE REEL ASSEMBLY 5 1 sa wWw W m five 2 W m w i m I 3 I 0/ y 1952 E. 1.. BOYCE ETAL 2,603,055

LAWN MOWER WITH REMOVABLE REEL ASSEMBLY Filed March 21, 1946 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Q it lfi \ a Q L 2 5 r a q x l jg m 1: i Q R R Q N w 3 Q1 Q) Q \Q 7 5207)? agar July 15, 1952 E. 1.. BOYCE ET AL LAWN MOWER WITHREMOVABLE REEL ASSEMBLY Filed March 21, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Eugen elifiayce .Pe fer-L. 1 0e w e y Q/Jwz M .Izazvzeys Patented July 15, E952I UNIEJ LAWN MOWER WITH REMOVABLE REELASSEMBLY Eugene L. Boyce andleterLl Loewe, Chicago, 111.,

assignors, by mesne assignmentai to Pioneer Gen-ll.-MotmrCorporation,Chicago, 111., a cor-- porationof Delaware Application March 21, 1946,Serial No. 656,100

Claims. (C1. Ed -250) This invention relates to an-improvement inlawn-mowers. I

One purpose is to provide an improved cutter reeland bar assembly whichis bodily removable from the lawn-mower chassis. i

Another purpose is to provide an improved lawn-mower wheel.

Another purpose is to provide improved means for removing the reelassembly from the lawn-- mower.

Another purpose is to provide improved means for adjusting the cutterbar.

Another purpose is to provide improved supporting and lubricating meansfor the lawnmower wheels.

Other purposes will appear from timelto time in the course of thespecification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings, wherein;

Figure 1 is a side elevation;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; I

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation: of the reel assembly, with parts insection; and 1 Figure 4 is an end-view oi" the'structure of Figure 3. I

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specificationand drawings.

Referring. to the drawings. 4, I. indicate chassis side frame 2 members,:whioh are shown as -con nested. by'auy suitable tubular strut 2,.andmay be 'further'ccnnectedhy top platestl and 88 not hereinillustrated in detail;

Outwardly extending from each of the chassis or end plates i'-i' is aheadedstubshaft Ill-4 ll". Each said shaft extendsinwardly throughanaperture H, I I in the respective plates I-l and the head thereof isgripped by anysuitable sheet metal retainer !2l2-whichrmay be welded. orotherwise secured to the respective shaftsrand to the inner face of thechassis plate l-l Thestub shafts lfi-lfi are surrounded by wheel-hubsl3, l3 which in turn are connected to wheeldiscs it, Hi and'which arealso provided with strengthening ribs i5, 5. The wheels may be kept inpositionytor' example by any suitable washers i6, is held by anysuitable snap rings H; 53'; The space about the outer'ends of the stubshafts Ill-l 0' may be protected by removablespring caps I8, 18'. Theedges of the caps may be sprung into circumferential notches i2. isproduced in the face of the respective wheel discs lie-Hi. The spacessurrounded by the caps lib-ia'rnay con tain any suitable fibrousmaterial 28, 20,

adapted to hold a lubricant-Thus the. wheel bearings are not onlyprotected from dust butxare'also lubricated by a structure whichi'seasily removed to permit removal of the wheel. 21,12! indicates anysuitable wheel rim which 'is mounted on or surrounds the Wheel discs ll--l l.fThe wheel rims may be'provided with a circumferential; outwardlyextending ridge 22,122 which assists'in centering any suitable flexibleandtremovable tire element 23; 23. The respective wheels are eachfurther provided with any suitable internal ring gear .24, 2Q,whichmay'be internally formed in the cylindrical wheel. portions 251-25;

Th'e'chassis or end plates and i may beiade ditionally connected andspacedby any-suitable transverse shaft 26 upon which .anyl'suitableground-engagingroller or rollers 27 arermounted. Said shaft 2G isadjustably secured to the chassis or end plates i, i by means of a bolt92 threaded through a slot 93 in the supporting plates Sl-lcand Qi'jrespectively. -The indicated adjustment of the shaft '25, as illustratedin Figurelgfdoes not form-partof the present invention; j A reel andcutter bar assembly-is .unitarily insertablein and removable fromthespace between the two chassis plates. 'Theireelrunit' is illustrated asincluding two end members, generally indicated as A and B. Each of theseend members includes a generally cylindrical bearing housing 38, Eli, inwhich is positioned an-outer ball bearing race 31/31. The housings; areeach apertured at their-inner ends, as at 32,32, respectively, toreceive the ends of the reel shaft below described. The housings are.outwardly open'as at 33-33', the space being closed by the opposedchassis plates or end plates l -l respectively. The respective bearinghousings are preferably formed integrally with rearward extensions 35,.is'to each of which is pivoted any suitable cutter I has assembly 36,shown as having. outwardly. extending. studs or; trunnions 31, 31. Thecutter bar assembly includes a blade portion and adjusting abutments 3eand 48. To these adjusting abutments are opposed adjustablejset screwsii, 52, which are screw threadedinto any suitable lugs. 23. M, which.form part or thereafward extensions Zia-'. The bearingho'usings arealso providedwith forwardly extending ears {it 3 5 which define betweenthem a notch :i-L' il adapted to be opposed'respectivelyfito abutmentears 38 which may be inwardly struck or upset from the :chassis or endplates. l i-. When the end members are in the .-position 'in which theyare shown in Figure 2, with the lugs 48, 48 received in the notches 41,41' the end members A and B may be secured in position by suitablescrews 50-50 which enter said members or extensions thereof and whichalso enter plates I. These screws may be inwardly inserted through theplates I-|' and may enter any suitable screw threaded receivingapertures in the rearward extensions 35-35.

The reference character 60 indicates a hollow reel shaft, carrying aplurality of spiders 6|, on which are mounted any suitable cutter blades62. The shaft 60 is provided with end portions 63, 63' which receive endball race members 89 and 89'. The reference character 65, 65' are anysuitable balls or rollers positioned between the inner races 64 and theouter races 3|3l' respectively. The reference character 66' indicatesany suitable seals and lubricating means adapted to fill the otherwiseempty area bounded by the outer walls of the bearing housings 30-30, theouter edges of race members 3|, 3| and 64, 64', the inner wall of platesI, I, and the sides of end portions 63, 63. The shaft 60 is shorter thanthe distance between the two plates l-I'.

It will be understood that the structure so far described may be readilyremoved as a unit from between the chassis or end plates l-l by merelyremovingthe screws 50, 50'. The entire structure may then be slid out.Assuming that the parts are in the position in which they are shown inFigure 2, with the screws 50, 50' in place, the drive connection betweenthe hollow shaft 60 and the ground engaging wheels is provided asfollows:

Two short shafts 10, HI are illustrated, which may be inserted throughapertures H, H in the respective plates Il' and may penetrate into thehollow ends of the shaft 60 and may be locked against unintended endwiseand rotary movement in relation to the hollow shaft 60 by the use oflocking pins 12, 12', held against unintended release by any suitablespring ring 12a, 12a. Secured to an outer portion of each of the shaftsIO- is an inner clutch member 13, 13'- adapted to receive a series ofclutch balls H, 14'. Normally free to rotate about the outer end of eachof the shafts 10, 10' is an outer clutch member 15, 15 with its clutchring 16, 16' surrounding the balls I4, 14'. The reference characters l1,11' are any suitable ball retaining rings. The members 15--'l5' areprovided with exterior teeth 18-48 adapted respectively to mesh with theinternal ring gears 24-44.

In response to the forward movement of the chassis, when pushed by theoperator, the shafts 10, 10' are effective to rotate the hollow endedreel shaft 60 and to cause the blades 62 to move in the properdirection, in relation to the cutter bar 36, to cut grass. The innerclutch member 13 and outer clutch member 13, I3 and 15, 15', with theballs 'l414', are formed to act as an over-running clutch, causingrotation of the shaft 60 when the mower is pushed forward, but causingno rotation when the direction of the mower is reversed. In order tolock the clutch out of action, a locking ball 80 is provided, receivedin any suitable socket in the shaft 10-40 (shown in Fig. 2 associatedwith shaft 10), and positioned to be opposed by the conic ended screw8|. With the screw 8| locked against the ball 80, the member 15 acts asdirect drive pinion connection between the shaft 60 and the ring gear24. Access to the screw Ill 4 is afforded through an aperture 81aprovided in wheel disc I 4' as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In order to shield and protect the ring gears, and the drive from thering gears to the hollow shaft 60, there are provided outwardly concaveguards 85, 85' having edges 86, 86' which extend within the hollow rimsof the ground engaging wheels and overlap with the inner surfaces of therim portions 2I2 l It will be realized that whereas we have describedand claimed a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changesmay be made in size, shape, number and disposition of parts withoutdeparting from the spirit of our invention. We therefore wish ourdescription and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrativeand diagrammatic, rather than as limiting us to the specific disclosureherein made.

The use and operation of our invention are as follows:

The mower herein described and shown provides a simple and ruggedchassis structure, formed of two chassis or end plates 1 which arefirmly secured together. Removably positioned in the chassis is a cutterreel assembly which includes the side or and members A and B, whichcarry th hollow ended reel shaft 60 and the adjustably mounted cutterbar 36. The unit is preassembled, and may be inserted as a unit in thespace between the end members I. It may then be anchored in place byengaging the notches 41, 47' with the lugs 48, 48'. The screws 50, 50may then be inserted and the cutter reel assembly is firmly held inposition. Thereafter, the shafts 10, 10' are inserted and locked intoposition by the pins 12, 12. The next step is to apply the groundengaging wheels to the stub shafts I 0, [0. The final step is to applythe spring caps l8, l8, and the device is ready for use.

If the user wishes to sharpen the blades, for example by causing areversed rotation of the cutter bar 36 to which an abrasive may beapplied, the user may do so by locking the ball by the screw 8|. Anaperture Bla in one of the wheels is alignable with the screw 8|, sothat the user can lock the ball 80 without demounting the wheel.

We claim:

1. In a lawn mower having a chassis including spaced, connected endplates, a pair of ground n i Wh els, one being rotatably mounted uponand exterior to each of the end plates, a cutter reel assembly mountedwithin and between the end plates and including a hollow ended reelshaft, a driving connection between an end of said reel shaft and aground engaging wheel which includes an internal gear on the groundengaging wheel, a transmission shaft extending through an aperture inthe side plate and having its inner end removably connected to the reelshaft, a pinion on the outer end of the transmission shaft, said pinionbeing in mesh with the internal gear of the ground engaging wheel, anoverrunning clutch assembly between said pinion and th transmissionshaft, and means for selectively securing the pinion to the transmissionshaft or releasing it therefrom, whereby the cutter shaft is drivable bythe rotation of the ground engaging wheel selectively in two differentrotational directions.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the transmission shaftis normally masked by the ground engaging wheel, the ground engagingwheel having an aperture alignable with the outer end of thetransmission shaft whereby the operator may have access to the end ofthe transmission shaft, the transmission shaft having at its end alocking member, externally accessible through the aperture in the groundengaging wheel, adapted to be moved selectively between operative andinoperative position by a tool inserted through the aperture in theground engaging wheel, said locking member, when in operative position,being adapted to hold the pinion against rotation in relation to thetransmission shaft.

3. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the means for securingthe pinion selectively to the transmission shaft includes a, threadedmember in the end of the transmission shaft, said threaded member havinga tapered portion opposable to the locking ball whereby, in response torotation of the threaded member from the release position to the lockingposition, th ball is locked between the transmission shaft and thepinion and thereby prevents their relative rotation.

4. In a lawn mower, a chassis, a cutter reel having ashaft rotatablymounted on said chassis, ground engaging wheels rotatably mounted onsaid chassis, at least one of said wheels having a circumferential gear,and a drivin connection between said wheel and said real including apinion in mesh with said gear and an over-running clutch connectionbetween said pinion and said shaft, said pinion being normally rotatablein relation to said shaft, and means for locking said pinion againstrotation in relation to said shaft, including a locking ball normally ininoperative position in a recess in said shaft, and means for thrustingsaid ball outwardly against said pinion, including an endwise movableplug generally axially positioned in said shaft, and having a taperedinner end portion adapted to engage said ball and to thrust it outwardlyin response to predetermined endwise movement of said plug.

5. In a lawn mower, a chassis, a cutter reel having a shaft rotatablymounted on said chassis, ground engaging wheels rotatably mounted onsaid chassis, at least one of said wheels having a circumferential gear,and a driving connection between said wheel and said reel including apinion in mesh with said gear and an over-running clutch connectionbetween said pinion and said shaft, said pinion being normally rotatablein relation to said shaft, and means for locking said pinion againstrotation in relation to said shaft, including a locking ball normally ininoperative position in a recess in said shaft, and means for thrustingsaid ball outwardly against said pinion, including an endwise movableplug generally axi-' ally positioned in said shaft, and having a taperedinner end portion adapted to engage said ball and to thrust it outwardlyin response to predetermined endwise movement of said plug, said wheelincluding a housing portion apertured in axial alignment with said plug.

EUGENE L. BOYCE. PETER L. LOEWE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

